PSA- Hang Up and Drive!

I dedicate this entry to my good friend Sarah Wilson (pse) of Bethesda, Md., who never can seem to put down the cell phone while she is driving.

But, people like Sarah are causing problems. And, in North Carolina, my current state of residence, the matter has been become a major civic issue as it has around the country (and presumably the world!).

The Raleigh-based newspaper "The News-Observer" featured a story about motorists who use cell phones while driving and how four out of five North Carolina residents were tired of their nonsense.

Recently, I dealt with this as I was driving in southern Virginia, near the NASCAR hamlet of Martinsville. If memory serves me right, the motorist was in his late twenties, but apparently all age groups are guilty of this crime which is (alas) not actually breaking the law.

Hannah Gathings of Raleigh told "The News-Observer" that people drive erractically while using their cell phones: "They slow down. They speed up. They're not concentrating while driving."

Doris Fields of Siler City, NC, told the same newspaper that she simply puts her cell phone in her pocketbook to avoid the dangerous temptation.

"Psychology Today" added that drivers who use cellphones while driving are slower to hit their brakes and more likely to miss exits. And, they sure aren't going to be paying any attention to what's being said on "Car Talk!"

And, if this wasn't enough, Oprah Winfrey dedicated a whole show to the topic in April........so, there you go!